What pH range is typically associated with alkaline perms?

The pH range associated with alkaline perms is typically between 8.0 and 9.5. This alkaline environment allows for the breaking of disulfide bonds in the hair, which is essential for the process of perming. The higher pH levels facilitate the swelling of the hair cuticle, enabling better penetration of the perming solution and making it easier for the hair to take on a new shape.

In contrast, lower pH levels are characteristic of other types of chemical processes, such as acid perms, which are more suitable for finer or damaged hair because they are milder. Acid perms generally have a pH that falls between 3.5 and 4.5, and this is not conducive to the strong restructuring action required in alkaline perms. The pH ranges reflective of those other perms cannot properly achieve the same results that are targeted by alkaline perms.